Ministry to Support Additional Sustainable Farming Methods

The Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries revised the Enforcement Regulation of Law for Promoting the Introduction of Sustainable Agricultural Production Practices in January 2006, designating four more farming methods as sustainable farm technologies. The ministry provided information on this revision and invited comments from the public through February 18.

The law aims to promote the introduction of highly sustainable farming methods. Farmers can submit plans to their prefectural governor, and if the plans are approved, are certified as "eco-farmers", qualifying them for financial support, such as tax breaks.

At the request of several prefectures, the four methods that conform to concept of law added to the list for further development, advancement and promotion of such technologies are:
1) Hot water treatment, in which seeds are soaked in hot water to eradicate detrimental organisms;
2) Cultivating farm products resistant to harmful organisms, or using such crops as rootstocks;
3) Heat sterilization of soil, a technology to eliminate harmful living things in soil with heat; and
4) The use of lights to attract or repel detrimental organic matter, or to suppress their physiological functions.

http://www.maff.go.jp/eindex.html

Posted: 2006/05/07 10:39:12 PM
Japanese version